One development was on vivid display in the 2012 campaign: Because most states, including Oregon, award all of their electoral votes to the winner of the statewide popular vote, candidates focus their attention and money on those few states where the outcome is in doubt.

They note that, over a period of two centuries, only twice has the loser in the popular tally prevailed in the College, and even in those cases, the person chosen as President got 49% of the popular vote.

That's why Griffo introduced into the state Senate a version of the National Popular Vote compact, an interstate agreement in which states would pledge their electoral votes not to the candidate who wins the most votes in their state, but to the candidate who wins the most popular votes nationwide.

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